We still have one area of game we need to improve.

[Cleric]

And that's clearances. We constantly get beaten in clearances, even to subpar teams like Richmond.
It's something I have been talking about for awhile. We have a good backline, but they dont perform well enough in the clearances. Good teams if they are allowed to win clearances like Richmond were, will kill us.

Our midfield strength is pressure and turnovers, which we do better than any other team. If we can nail the clearances in our game, we will be unbeatable in the future.

As for how we improve it, bringing Draper in over Murphy would have been a good wat to go. We also lack that inside extractor in Crouch, as we dont have any midfielder that consistently gets 30+ in a game. Berry, Dawson, Rankine, Peatling and Soligo dont tend to get huge numbers, but they are good at what they do.

 

[Coopers]

As for how we improve it, bringing Draper in over Murphy would have been a good wat to go. We also lack that inside extractor in Crouch, as we dont have any midfielder that consistently gets 30+ in a game. Berry, Dawson, Rankine, Peatling and Soligo dont tend to get huge numbers, but they are good at what they do.

I'm not keen for Crouch in to replace any of those guys though. We were not that good when he was in there.

We need a magical player who is a clearance machine, excellent with disposal and and a defensively minded monster.

So you know, one of the recent brownlow medalists or something along those lines.

 

[Cyclonus]

Yes it needs to improve. At the same time, I recall Richmond not being a great clearance team during their premiership run so it's not the end of the world if everything else works well.

 

[WeeBlake]

This is fair. And none of those players you listed - Berry, Dawson, Rankine, Peatling and Soligo - have had a great year. Berry is maybe playing better than ever but still not at A grader levels.

Maybe Dawson you could make a case for, but he’s definitely been below his best most weeks.

Anyway, I agree the midfield needs to be better but the good thing is we have seen better from these players, they just need to put it together in the back half of the year.

 

[Mutineer]

And that's clearances. We constantly get beaten in clearances, even to subpar teams like Richmond.
It's something I have been talking about for awhile. We have a good backline, but they dont perform well enough in the clearances. Good teams if they are allowed to win clearances like Richmond were, will kill us.

Our midfield strength is pressure and turnovers, which we do better than any other team. If we can nail the clearances in our game, we will be unbeatable in the future.

As for how we improve it, bringing Draper in over Murphy would have been a good wat to go. We also lack that inside extractor in Crouch, as we dont have any midfielder that consistently gets 30+ in a game. Berry, Dawson, Rankine, Peatling and Soligo dont tend to get huge numbers, but they are good at what they do.

We have one player in the top 20 for clearances...guess who?

2025 AFL League Clearances Per Game Leaders

2025 AFL League Clearances Per Game Leaders.

www.footywire.com

We have one player in the top 20 for centre clearances....guess who?

2025 AFL League Centre Clearances Per Game Leaders

2025 AFL League Centre Clearances Per Game Leaders.

www.footywire.com

 

[Coopers]

Maybe Dawson you could make a case for, but he’s definitely been below his best most weeks.

While it does feel like he could actually be better... he's equal second for the coaches votes award... so like 2nd best player in the league is a fairly solid season.

 

[spenze]

Yes, what we need to improve is a sideways-moving crab who doesn't chase the other way when the opposition has the ball

 

[1970crow]

Yes, what we need to improve is a sideways-moving crab who doesn't chase the other way when the opposition has the ball

“Oh no, Richmond beat us in clearance numbers”. Obviously cost us the game.

 

[feenix67]

We rank 6th for clearances overall and rank 2nd in effective first clearance possessions. We also rank 1st for ground ball gets and second for hard ball gets. Second for contested possessions. First for post clearance contested possessions and ground ball gets.

Comfortable we're ok in this area of the game.

 

[cmndstab]

I've been more comfortable with our clearances this season than I have been for years. Peatling has been a big part of this, and I have to say that Berry has been super impressive in this regard as well. And ROB having a much improved season, too.

However, it does feel like whenever our backs are against the wall, we sometimes revert into bad habits and allow opposition players to just waltz out of them at will.

 

[kirky]

We have one player in the top 20 for clearances...guess who?

2025 AFL League Clearances Per Game Leaders

2025 AFL League Clearances Per Game Leaders.

www.footywire.com

We have one player in the top 20 for centre clearances....guess who?

2025 AFL League Centre Clearances Per Game Leaders

2025 AFL League Centre Clearances Per Game Leaders.

www.footywire.com

And he is a slow as a wet week and provides little outside pressure.

Not winning clearances is not the be all end all.

 

[Scorpus]

Our gameplan doesn't require clearances. We want to set up from intercepts off half back and locking the ball in our forward half

 

[davos44]

I think the problem is more about the quality of clearances we get than the actual numbers.

They tend to be a little bit hacked and we lack the speed to get out the front of the contest unless Dawson is running through.

Rankine isn't really providing many answers in that regard and Draper is not ready yet.

Were OK, not great.

 

[John Who]

Yes we can improve in the clearances, but a midfielder’s role isn’t just on clearances. You can make it up for being better at the tackling pressure and running it from defence to forward. The other issue is that our midfield group is still relatively young with less experience than the other established clubs like Pies and Lions, and we have more scope to improve (in theory).

 

[PeterSalt]

I sometimes watch games and think we make more dumb skill errors than other teams

I don't know if I ignore basic skill errors when watching other teams play and I'm just being harder on us

However there are times I think we could improve immensely purely by reducing unforced skill errors resulting in turn overs

I've never bothered to look up any stats to compare us to other teams


Tex had a classic on the weekend leading into the corridor near the centre square and dropping the chest mark. Surrounded by Richmond players who ran the ball straight down to their end and goaled

Even before he dropped the mark my first thought was this is going to **** up. Maybe it a combination of occasional skill errors plus poor decision making

 

[Danger in Texas]

Score from turnover is clearly more important to the way we play, and for the most part it’s paying off. Agree we still need some extra midfield development, particularly from Soligo, but I’m not super concerned about it - yet

Btw, we won the clearance battle against the Hawks and lost

 

[AFC979810]

And that's clearances. We constantly get beaten in clearances, even to subpar teams like Richmond.
It's something I have been talking about for awhile. We have a good backline, but they dont perform well enough in the clearances. Good teams if they are allowed to win clearances like Richmond were, will kill us.

Our midfield strength is pressure and turnovers, which we do better than any other team. If we can nail the clearances in our game, we will be unbeatable in the future.

As for how we improve it, bringing Draper in over Murphy would have been a good wat to go. We also lack that inside extractor in Crouch, as we dont have any midfielder that consistently gets 30+ in a game. Berry, Dawson, Rankine, Peatling and Soligo dont tend to get huge numbers, but they are good at what they do.

Mate - you couldn't be further off.

Here are our 5 losses:
Rd 4 Gold Coast: Won Clearances by 11
Rd 5 Cats: Lost Clearances by 3
Rd 7 Fremantle: Lost Clearances by 8
Rd 10 Collingwood: Won Clearances by 10
RD 11: Hawks - Won Clearances by 5

Our gameplan doesn't require clearances.

100%!

Its a crazy original OP.

We want to set up from intercepts off half back

Yup.

and locking the ball in our forward half

Don't agree with this. Our gameplan is all about being incredibly efficient with the ball when we have it.

There is a reason we are 4th for Inside 50's, 2nd for Points Scored and 9th for tackles inside 50.

 

[Mattrox]

I think the problem is more about the quality of clearances we get than the actual numbers.

They tend to be a little bit hacked and we lack the speed to get out the front of the contest unless Dawson is running through.

Rankine isn't really providing many answers in that regard and Draper is not ready yet.

Were OK, not great.

We are highly rated from first touch to score. The quality is fine when we get the 1st touch. We actually get torched for quantity at times, like vs Port Power this year.

 

[spenze]

It's almost like Nicks has started this thread, looking for a way to get the missing piece of having the band back together.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

I wonder if this is a Davis mindset change?

Did we previously put a lot of stock in stoppage wins? Crouch midfield numero uno*, push extra numbers (often Murphy) up to each stoppage - sacrificing 1 or even 2 forwards

I don't think we're setting up to lose stoppages now or anything, just not putting all our eggs in the winning stoppages basket.

*I know Crouch is injured now and played at the start of the season but I'll be interested to see if he returns.

 

[maxlilly]

It generally looks like we set up at CBA behind our opponent.
This makes it difficult to win clearances.
What this enables though is that the opposition cant just run out of the centre square and we are able to tackle and pressure their mids to create turnovers
It's frustrating watching us play from behind in the CBA's but the plan seems to be working

 

[Cleric]

We have one player in the top 20 for clearances...guess who?

2025 AFL League Clearances Per Game Leaders

2025 AFL League Clearances Per Game Leaders.

www.footywire.com

We have one player in the top 20 for centre clearances....guess who?

2025 AFL League Centre Clearances Per Game Leaders

2025 AFL League Centre Clearances Per Game Leaders.

www.footywire.com

Yep.
And not another player until number 42.

 

[Cleric]

Our gameplan doesn't require clearances. We want to set up from intercepts off half back and locking the ball in our forward half

That's ok when you are playing a team below you in the talent, but when you face a good team, losing clearances costs you, which is why we dont have a good record against the top teams.
It's an area that we can improve upon, without neglecting the other areas we are good at.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

Don't agree with this. Our gameplan is all about being incredibly efficient with the ball when we have it.

There is a reason we are 4th for Inside 50's, 2nd for Points Scored and 9th for tackles inside 50.

I hope our gameplan hasn't been locking it in given how easily we let oppo teams stroll out of defence sometimes.

 

[Geoffa32]

Our gameplan doesn't require clearances. We want to set up from intercepts off half back and locking the ball in our forward half

I thought the issue highlighted by the OP might be locking the ball in our forward half and creating repeat I50s.

Not sure on stats, but do feel we are not great at this.